What does the phrase "in the current digital nomad haze" refer to?

Question

the bold phrase refers to what?

Graphic design is a challenging job that requires serious hardware and software. In the current digital nomad haze, laptop characteristics such as mobility and weight have also become extremely important. As with every profession, the laptop choice is always a subtle game of balance between performance and weight, large screen and portability, maximum features and affordable price.

This is the link of the full article: https://justcreative.com/2019/01/01/best-laptops-for-graphic-designers-2019/

Answer 1

A "digital nomad" is someone who can move around and isn't tied to a particular location for their work etc (e.g. Wikipedia) and as you likely know already, we are now in an age where someone can carry out 'gig' based work online, accept the work they want in a freelance lifestyle, etc.

Actually for some companies, they can even have "digital nomad" employees (as long as they are available at the needed times) as regular staff!

'Haze' is unclear and doesn't have a definite meaning in this context but I would take it to mean a kind of halo, nebulous nature, or perhaps a "pulling wool over the eyes" (i.e. intentionally making something obscure to someone else) where the author is saying that it is not really a well-defined term. It could be a "fad" (trend) of the moment. 'Haze' is that weather phenomenon where you get a vague sunlight through fog and it makes everything impossible to see -- make of that what you will!

For me it also has connotations of 'halcyon days' in its capacity as something that's very much "of its moment".

If you are totally unclear what this phrase means at all (and I don't blame you!) I would re-word it in my mind to something like "In the current 'era' where people work remotely, on-and-off and have to be mobile and always connected but without maintaining a physical presence in any one particular place, [especially because this is a trend in the last few years], laptop characteristics such as size and weight are important".

Answer 2

It is pointlessly excessive verbiage designed to impress a reader with the author's creativity. It is florid and silly. The meaning it does impart could be imparted with simpler terms, though it would take longer - but the meaning is virtually unnecessary.

"Digital nomad" is a term I've come across before, though not with entirely consistent meanings. The more meaningful term is where people do not have a single "digital home", nor even several that are all consistent, but that a person moves around from one place to another online. They are not regulars on any part of social media or a particular web forum, but instead dip in and out of different ones. The other meaning is to say that people live their digital lives in a range of different physical places - they need a computer or other device that allows them to do their online work (on engage in online play) at home, on the train, in a coffee shop, and so on.

The "haze" bit is pretty pointless. It suggests something that is making something unclear, hard to see or understand.

Do not emulate this writing style.

Answer 3

As a native speaker, I would say that it means almost nothing. It looks as if some copywriter threw some random words vaguely connected with the subject at a wall and looked to see if they had stuck.

"Digital" probably means it's something to do with computers.

"Nomad" probably means it's something to do with moving around.

And "haze" probably means it's something to do with the same sort of mist or fog which appears to have been in the writer's mind.